Device for transmitting or transforming micromovements.



J, A. JOHNSEN. DEVICE FOR TRANSMITTING 0R TRANSFORMlNG MICROMOVEMENTS! APPLICATION men 050.31, i915- 2?. QQQfi]; 9w Patented June 12, 1917.

2 suns-swam 1.

.I. A. JOHNSEN. DEVICE FOR TRANSMITTING 0R TRANSFORMING MICROMOVEMENTS.

APPLICATION FILED DEC'SI. 1915- mmaw,

Patented June 12, 1917 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

JONAS ALBERT JOHNSEN, OF CHRISTIANIA, NGRWAY.

DEVICE F013. TRANSEHTTXNG 0R TRllNSF-OBMING MICROMOVEMENTSQ Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 12, 191?.

Application filed December 31, 1915. Serial No. 89,541.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that l Joivlis llL-siurr J0me sun, a. subject oi the King of Norway, residing at Christiuuis, 1i orway, have invented certain new a lad useiul Improvements ito. ilevices for 'ljro emitting or Transforming lvlicromovcmeiits; and 1. do hereby declare the following to be it full, clear and exact description hi the invention, such as will en able others skilled in the art to Which it uppertzzins to make and use the some, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to letters or figures of reference murlzcd thereon, which form :1 port of this specifics lion.

in. various u ipsrzitus it is required to trensmit u rapid. oscillatory movement from one member to another and in some cases at the sine time toultcr (increase or reduce) the oscillations. This applies more particularly to devices such microphones, telephones gremophohes, automatic recording devices, etc, and. generally to any apparatus Whose function. is based or depends upon What may be designated by the general term oi? micro-mcvcmouts.

While the transmission oi oscillatory movements by .uicsns oi levcr systems generally presents in mechanics no particular dilliculties, the simple low according to which the product of the lever by the power remains constant and which afi'ords the necessary guidance for designing mechanisms of this nature for the transmission of micromovements by means of levers has presented dilliculties which have not as yet been over come. Many ellorts have been made, for instance, to increase the strength of a microphone by connecting the diaphragm and the member acting on the carbon box by means of a lover system or to transmit the os cillations of at primary swinging; diaphragm to another one (the latter to perform increased movements) by means of a lever system. These and several other endeavors have remained however Without success the calculated or any increase at all of the 0s cillotions or of the secondary eii'ects of the swinging member having failed to be realized.

I have now endeavored by numerous experiments to ascertain the origiirof these dillicultie's and to provide means by which to obtain the desired results and in the following I shall briefly explain the results l have arrived st.

The main reason Why lever systems act otherwise with regard to micro-movements than with regard to common oscillatory movements and Why micro-movements can not be transmitted or transformed by means of levers occcrdiu to the rules otherwise applying to lev r systems lies in the Weakmess, the smell. mnplitude and the sometimes complex character of the micro-movements and also in the fact that such movements (more particularly sound Waves) besides the direct of the elementary movement have also secondary effects due to the rapid succession of the movements. Thus, for ample, a. lever subjected to the action of sound. Waves will transmit the oscillations independent of the length of the lever arms in directions in which the oscillations shall be most easily able to put material in oscillatory moven'ieuts. In order to prevent a micromovement imported to a lever from being to any appreciable extent transmitted through the oscillating axis of the lever, and to pro-- ride that it shall be transmitted only through its Working arm, it is essential in the first place to concentrate a sufiicient mass about the oscillating axis of the lever to enable the inertia of said mass (analogously with an anvil) to prevent the lever from getting into independent oscillations (which would be transmittedthrough its oscillating axis) or any rate only to a minimum extent. I have found that with a lever consisting of one or more arms and of a body arranged in the above manner and by locating the fulcru ii of the lever in or close to the center of gravity of the entire oscillating body, l am able to transmit the oscillations through levers with the desired. effect.

Iliavc further found that it is essential for obtaining the desired result that the connection between the primary oscillating member and the lever be an rutirely free contact, the lever being pressed, for exa uiple, by means of a spring, against thesifiid oscillating member. In orderto obtain in practice an accurate equilibmtioii thwlever it has provedsdvantsseous not to subport the pivots of the lever in bearings but to give them a pointed shape and arrange them to be supported by holders resilient in an axial direction. v

The present invention has for its object to utilize these results in devices of every description in which an accurate transmission of micro-movements is required in com nection with an alteration, if any, (increase or reduction) of the movements or furtherance of certain oscillations in the case of combined or complex micro-movements.

Some examples of carrying out my invention'will be described in the following specification reference being had to the accompanymgdrawings, in which:

Figures 1 and 2 show respectively in axial section and in plan the essential parts of a microphone with a lever system the object of which is to considerably increase the efiiciency of the microphone.

Figs. 3 and 4 show a modified arrange ment for the same purpose.

Fig. 5 shows diagrammatically a lever arboss is secured at 1ts ends to spring 38 exrangement designated for use more particularly in cases where a very considerable increase of the oscillations is desired for eX- ample in the graphic record of sound waves.

' Figs. 6 and 7 shows a modified arrangement of a microphone according to the present invention.

Figs. 8 and 9 illustrates a 'form of hook for connecting the diaphragm with the lever system.

Figs. 1015 show details of three other forms of such hooks.

Figs 16-21 show details of different forms of means for supporting the levers.

Figs. 2225 illustrate a modification of a microphone according to the present invention, showing especially a preferable manner of mounting and connecting the microphone device proper with the casing.

Figs. 26-29 show two special forms of electrodes.

In Figs 1 and 2, 1' is a microphone diaphragm and 2 the carbon box which is located laterally in the microphone box and may be ofany suitable construction. 3 is a lever connected at one end with a movable electrode 4 of the carbon box, which electrode may conveniently be of spherical shape so that it can be made thin and light. For the same reason the electrode may be-made of aluminum which is carbonized on its active surface. The thickness of the lever increases from its tapering end toward the other end which is shown in the shape of a broad and thick boss 5 provided on its lateral faces with pins or pivots 6 which extend into, corresponding recesses in the springs 7 which are secured to a projection 8 in the microphone box (it is of course sufficient for the purpose that one .of the points be acted upon by a spring).

Instead of supporting the lever in the way just described 1 may make use of other arrangements for obtaining the result aimed at. i As iihsstrated in Figs. 16 and 17, showing axial sections through the pivot ends of the lever boss I mayobtain a laterally yielding bearing by placing a diaphragm or cap 31 on the end of the boss covering a dcpressed portion 32 in the same. Said cap may, as shown in Fig. 16 be pressed on the boss outside the same or it may be inserted in the depressed portion as shown in Fig. 17. I may also support the lever by meahs of a spring thereby doing wholly away with a regularv pivot arrangement. Examples of such supports are shown in Figs. 18 to 21. In the form shown in Figs. 18 and 19 a flat spring 35 is fixed at its ends. The boss or pivot end of the lever is made in two parts 36 and 37 and secured to the spring in the manner shown so that the latter will act. as a torsion spring when the lever vibrates.

In the form shown in Figs. 20 and 21 the tending parallel with the lever from a fixed point of the microphone casing.- The lever might also be supported by a single spring attached in :fsimilar manner to the boss in the center line of the lever.

The connection between the microphone diaphragm 1 and the lever 3 is as shown in Figs. 14: efi'ected by means of a hook 9 screwed on to the diaphragm, the lever resting within the hook and being kept pressed against the same by a spring 10 secured to the lever. Figs. 8 and 9 illustrate a more suitable form of such a hook which permits the diaphragm and the lever system to be easily disconnected.

The'hook 11 is riveted to the diaphragm and has the form of a fork. The ends of the forks form each one half o'fa hollow pin 12. 13 is'a screw which fits threads on the inside of the pin halves. The head 14 of the screw has a ridge or collar 15 which fits around the pin, so that when the lever lias been inserted in the hook and the screw is applied this collar will keep the pin halves together. The lever will then rest on the end of the screw and may be adjusted by means of the screw.

Other forms of hooks are shown in Figs. 1015. I

In Figs. 10 and 11 I have shown an arrangement in which the microphone diaphragm carries a short bifurcated screwstud 40; the hook 411 is provided with a Hat shaft 42 fitting closely intoithe slot 43 of the screwstud and with a collar 44 servin r as a bearing for a nut 45 by means of whih the hook is secured to the screwstud. ment of the distance between the edge of the Adjust hook and the diaphragm may be obtained by means of a washer 46.

The form shown in Figs. 12 and 13 is a modification oi? the form shown in Figs. 10 and 11, a right and left-threaded nut 48 being used to connect the hook 47 with the screwstud 19.

The form of hook shown in Figs. 14 and 15 resembles the modification just described but in this instance the hook itself is split one of which a anee 2i.

weenie so as to allow of easy insertion and removal of the lever. in the eye of the book without disconnecting the lever from the microphone box.

Although it is preferable to so arrange the axis of oscillation oi the lever as not to have the latter carried by the diaphragm, satis factory results may also be attained by placing the bearings of the lever directly on the diaphragm and such an arrangement is shown in Figs. 3 and 4:. In this modification the lever arrangement is inverted, the lever itself abutting against 2 lug 16 secured to the diaphragm. and being pressed against the some by a spring 10 secured to the lever and resting within the hook I? seemed to the diaphragm.

i /hen it desired to increase the microoscillal iims to a very large czdont, it is preferable to a bell-crank lover as shown diagruum "y in Fig. 5. In this figure l represe' a diaphragm and the pivot point of ..l:o lover. The long arm of the latter composed of l the first ght rods 18, i..,

which a pointed lug on the diaphragm abuts. 20 is the boss of the lever, and the lee. is shown being used for recording vibrations on a strip of paper.

Fig.8 shows a microphone arrangement by which. an increased eiiiciency is obtained by a system ofitwo combined levers. The microphone box is in this case provided with botton1- and tonelectrodes 24, secured to one end of lovers 26, 27, the lever being single armed and the lever 27 double armed. A spring 28 secured to the lever and abutting against the end of the lever :2? acts to keep either lever in contact with a hook 29 ca 'ried by the diaphragm.

The mode of operation of the arrangement, as will be seen, issuch that an oscillation 01": the diaphragm in one direction will cause the operative ends of the levers to move away from each otliler, whereas an oscillation in the opposite direction will cause them to approach each other, and hereby the efficiency of the carbon box will be increased.

I shall now describe the microphone {embodying my invention) shown in Figs. 22-25. Fig. 22 shows a section through the casing, the operative parts and the cover being removed. Fig. 23 is a section through the microphone box carrying the Working parts of the microphone. Flg. 24, is a section through the cover. Fig. view of the microphone box.

a In the modification the-working" parts are marked with the same reference character as in 'l ig's. 1 The diaphragm 1 is secured to the frame or box carrying the other working parts by means of a ring 51 of an ular cross section. This ring may be held Ev friction or byscrew threads on the cir- 25 is a plan cumi'erence of the box. The latter may be provided with screwthreads 52 correspondingwith screwthi'eads 53 on the inside of the casing 54: or it may be held in the bot tom of the casing simply by friction. The cover is after the insertion of the micro phone box screwed on the same, whereby the contact springs 56 of the carbon box are pressed againstthe contact piece 57 on the inside of the cover. 58 is an electric connection between the boss of the lever and the microphone box or frame. This connection has proved useful for the reason that the electrical connection afforded by the bearing points of the lever is of such nature that it creates ca -siderable resistance and therefore vurbing effects on the microphone action. In t is modification l have shown a carbon her; i an oval form, which form has been found preferable r the following reason. When the electoce is carried by a lever in the present invention the electrode will have reator novement its outer than at its is" I i. This is to some degree a d advantage and by making its radial dimension small and enlarging it sidewiee this disadvantage nod. In this figure as well as in l it will he that the arhon box with the ele trode: is so disposed that the inward movement Oi t .e diaphragm causes the movable electrode to move out from the box, that is to say the pressure on the carbon grains decreased, whereas in the usual. arrangement this pressure is increased, when the diaphragm through the sound waves is moved inwardly. his difference from the usual arrangement inirovcs the sensibility of the microphone.

In Figs. ac to 2.) l have shown a. special form of electrodes, which I have found prefcrable in connection with this invention. i

ll: the form shown in Figs. 26 and 27 the cl rode has a. ribbed sin'iface, toe ribs being arranger in a direction so as to extend horizontally when the microphone is "used, and having: in cross-section a sawtooth-like form with the sloping face turned upward. Vlith this form the static pressure becomes less.

In the form of Figs-28 and 29 corrugated electrodes are shown having the corrugations so disposed as to extend vertically when the microphone is used. lrrthis form the corrugations in the two opposed electrodes have a peculiar form so as to secure the same distance between the-two corrugated surfaces throughout their extent. 'Ifo this end the bottom of each corrugation has a round form as shown, the center of the are being in the point of the opposed corrugation. In this manner I secure a greater eiiiciency of the electrodes because the whole surface gets active and'no dead corners are created as when corrugations have a pointed shape at the bottom. v I do nothmit myself to the manner of 'chords adapted to have oscillatory move ments impartedthereto by sounding bodies. In this Way desired synchronous effects may berealized by very simple means.

Instead of connecting, as above stated, a single diaphragm or other primarily oscil- V lating member with a plurality of operative Y be lessened or neutralized.

organs, one may inversely connect a plu i'ality of primarily oscillating organs with a singleoper'ative member (or with a plurality of such members).

As regards the way of carrying out the invention it may be stated that a lever system may be composed of different materials so as to use, for example, a heavier material for the oscillating body with great mass concentrated around the oscillatory axis. It would also be possible to construct the entire oscillatory body as a body of revolution with a. central portion of great mass and Whose peripheral partswhere the points of contact for the diaphragm or other oscillating members are located, may be in the form of a disk of light construction.

V hen microphones according to the pres ent invention are constructed for use on long lines, they may be provided with means whereby the action of the lever system may This may be done, for eqample, by means of pressure exerted on the diaphragm around its center, or by pressure on the. lever or the oscillating body. It may also be done by an electrical resistance which is inserted in series or in parallel with the secondary conductor, or simply by employing a device similar to the socalled Iris-diaphragm used in photographic cameras.

What I claim is:

1. In a device of the character specified, the combination with a primary oscillating member, of means for transmitting or transforming the oscillations of said member, a lever interposed between said member and said means comprising a lever arm having one of its ends attached to said means and an enlargement at the other end of said arm, said enlargement being a body of great mass relatively to the mass of the lever, means to pivotally support said enlargement substan tially at the center of gravity of the lever system and a connection between said lever and said primary oscillating member.

2. In a device of the character specified,

the combination with a primary oscillating member, of means tor transmitting or tran.

forming the oscillations of said member, a

lever interposed between said member and said means comprising a lever arm having one of its ends attached to sand means and an enlargement. at the other end of said arm, said enlargement being a body of greaflmass relatively to the mass of the lever, means to pivotally support said enlargement subs-tan tiall at the center of gravity of said enlargement and a connection between said lever and said primary oscillating member.

3. In a device of the character specified, tht; combination with a primary oscillating member. of means for transmitting or trans forming the. oscillations of said member, a. lever interposed between said member and said means comprising a lever arm having one of its ends attached to said means and an enlargement at the other end of said arm said enlargement being a body of great mass relatively to the mass of the lever, yieldingly supported bearings b which said enlargement is pivotally carried, and a connection between said leve and said primary oscillating member.

4. In admire. of the character specified, the combination with a primary oscillating member, of electrodes for transmitting or transforming the oscillations of said memher, a lever iiiterposed between said member and said electrodes. said lever comprising a lever arm having one of its ends contacting with one of said electrodes and an enlargement at its opposite end said enlargement being a body of great mass relatively to the mass of the lever, yieldingly supported bearings in which said enlargement is pivotally carried, and a connection between said lever and said primary oscillating member.

5. In a device of the character specified, the combination with an oscillatory diaphragm, of means for transmitting or trans forming the oscillations of said diaphragm, a lever interposed between said diaphragm and said means, said lever comprising a lever arm having one of its ends contacting with said means and an enlargement at its opposite end said enlargement being a body of great mass relatively to the mass of the. lever, yieldingly supported bearings in which said enlargement is pivotally carried, and a spring actuated contact connection between said lever and said diaphragm.

(n-In a device of the character specified,

the combination with an oscillatory diaphragm. of means for transmitting or transforming the oscillations of said diaphragm. said means including a movable electrode, a lever interposed between said diaphragm and said u ans, said lever comprising a lever arm having one of its ends attached to said movable electrode and an enlargement at its opposite end said enlargement being a body of great mass relatively to the mass of the lever, yieldingly supported hearings in which said enlargement is pivotally carried, and a spring actuated contact connection between said lever and said diaphra m.

7. In a device of the cha 'acter speci e.

the combination with a primary oscillating member, of means for transmitting or trans forming the oscillations of said member, a lever interposed between said member and said means comprising a lever arm having one of its ends attached to saidmeans and an enlargement at the other end of said arm said enlargement being a body of great mass relatively to the mass of the lever, yieldingly supported bearings by which said enlargement is pivotally carried, and a spring actuated contact connection between said lever and said primary oscillating member, said connection comprising a hook secured to said primary oscillating member in which hook said lever arm is supported.

8. In a device of the character specified, the combination with a primary oscillating member, of means for transmitting or transforming the oscillations of said member, a lever interposed between said member and said means comprising a lever arm having one of itsends attached to said means and an enlargement at the other end of said arm said enlargement being a body of great mass relatively to the mass of the lever, yieldingly supported bearings by which said enlargement is pivotally carried, a connection between said leverand said primary oscillating member, said connection comprising a hook secured to said primary oscillating member in which book said lever arm is supported, and means for yieldingly pressing said'lever arm against said hook.

9. In a device of the character specified, the combination with a primary oscillating member, of means for transmitting or transforming the oscillations of said member, a lever interposed between said member and said means comprising a lever arm having one of its ends attached to said means and an enlargement at the other end of said arm, yieldingly supported bearings by which said enlargement is pivotally carried, and a connection between said lever and said primary oscillating member, said connection compris ing whookportion secured to said primary oscillating member in which hook portion said lever arm is supported, and a screw and nut member adapted to engage said hook portion.

'10. A telephone transmitter or microphone, comprising a diaphragm, a lever having one of its ends enlarged and of great mass relatively to the body of the lever, a.

pivotal support for the enlarged end of said lever, a connection between the diaphragm and the lever whereby the oscillations of the former are imparted to the latter, and means for transforming the oscillations of the lever into varied electric currents, saidmeans comprising granulated carbon and oblong or oval electrodes in contact with said carbon. 1

11. In a device of the char acter specified, the combination .with a primary oscillating membexy'bf means for transmitting or transforming the oscillations of said member, a lever interposed between said member and said means compris ng alever arm having one of its ends attached to said means and an enlargement at the other end of said arm said enlargement being a body. f great mass relatively to the mass of the leter, a connection between said lever and said primary os cillating member and yieldingly supported bearings by which said enlargement 1S pivotally carried, said bearings consisting of pointed pins bearing against diaphragms.

In testimony that 1 claim the foregoing as my invention, I have signed my name in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JONAS ALBERT J OHNSEN; Witnesses:

H. E. GUT'roRNsEN, O. FABRIGIUs HANSEN. 

